Have you been here?

During the lifetime of legendary tropical architect Geoffrey Bawa, considered the mentor to Amanresorts’ builders, an invitation to his bucolic Sri Lankan estate Lunuganga was considered quite a coup. Celebrated Europeans like Cecil Beaton regularly dropped in for sunset drinks along the Bentota River two hours south of the capital Colombo. Now three years after Bawa’s death, the private home goes public as a charming six suite retreat offering some of the island’s finest vistas and elegant accommodations. With each hotel commission, the architect added on a unique room to his eclectic abode. Even the smallest, the elevated all-glass Long Room embodies the architect’s considerable creative and structural talents, spanning the curving driveway. All were thoughtfully filled with colorful artwork by local friends and antiques collected in his global travels. Art lovers in particular will enjoy a night in the Studio suite where Bawa’s work still lines the walls and the modern shower overlooks an intimate lotus pond. Managed by Geoffrey Dobbs, the stylish force behind some of Sri Lanka’s finest boutique properties, Dutch House and Taprobane Island among them, Lunuganga’s well trained staff serves up the tastiest (but not too spicy) curries on the island and drinks are delivered in record time. Boat rides through the nearby estuaries offer up exotic monitor lizards and colorful kingfishers overhead but most guests will find themselves awed into enchantment by the exquisite views from the verandah or one of several secluded picnic spots the architect hid into the eleven acre Italianate gardens. Even intrepid travelers should take note, Bawa lived without air conditioning and for now at least, so must guests though powerful fans and a river breeze balance the island’s equatorial heat. When to go: the hotel is open to the public only between December and April, the most seasonable months while the rest of the year it operates as an artists’ retreat. Which room to book: The ultra-private Cottage at Cinnamon Hill comes with its own steward, making it ideal for honeymooners or families.